James River Fly Fishing

[Flysmallie]

It's a lot different and much more difficult for me to tie with low test tippet, and it also seems to be really temperamental (e.g. getting wrapped up in itself and becoming all twisted and then just staying that way despite your best efforts to straighten it - anyone have any advice regarding this?)

Keep working on your cast. If dung is popping off then you doing it wrong. Hey I'm no casting instructor but I remember these problems.

Don't use low test tippet on the James. It's not needed. Or a leader for that matter. A straight piece of 6 or 8 lb mono works great and is a lot less frustrating. Make up a few extras with a loop and keep them in your pocket. If one starts getting twisted or is all knotted up you can easily swap it out for a new one.

[Flysmallie]

dung

The censor sensor has a mind of it's own.

[Arofishing]

Keep working on your cast. If dung is popping off then you doing it wrong. Hey I'm no casting instructor but I remember these problems.

Don't use low test tippet on the James. It's not needed. Or a leader for that matter. A straight piece of 6 or 8 lb mono works great and is a lot less frustrating. Make up a few extras with a loop and keep them in your pocket. If one starts getting twisted or is all knotted up you can easily swap it out for a new one.

Thanks for the advice. It is mostly my friend having the "twisting" problems, but I also have my suspicions that the tippet I was using on his rod might not be the best. [Edit: never mind, just realized you were referring to the fact that I keep losing flies - "dung" flying off, I'm working on "whipping" the pole less]

I'm definitely going to take your advice on the 6/8 lb mono line. I'm about to acquire my third leader this week, and should get another for backup, mind you I've used two different poles, but one still shouldn't be replacing leaders at anywhere near this rate. I went to Bass Pro last week to get some Eagle Claw Bio Degradable line for just that purpose but I guess they don't carry it.

I suppose low test tippet is really only necessary when the fish are real discerning, when presentation and sighting the line matter (e.g. trout)?

[Flysmallie]

The leaders get real expensive after a while. I used to go through a couple each trip, but I'm pretty hard on things too. Go the mono route it works, fluoro works too but it also sinks which isn't good if you are fishing on the top.

[Jack Jones]

Loved the suggestion on the mono. I will do it next time also. After fishing spincast, and then fly, I couldn't understand why I was bothering with a leader and tippet since they never had a problem grabbing lures on straight mono. I'll probably go with 4lb test low vis green.

[Trout Commander]

Thanks for the advice. It is mostly my friend having the "twisting" problems, but I also have my suspicions that the tippet I was using on his rod might not be the best. [Edit: never mind, just realized you were referring to the fact that I keep losing flies - "dung" flying off, I'm working on "whipping" the pole less]

I'm definitely going to take your advice on the 6/8 lb mono line. I'm about to acquire my third leader this week, and should get another for backup, mind you I've used two different poles, but one still shouldn't be replacing leaders at anywhere near this rate. I went to Bass Pro last week to get some Eagle Claw Bio Degradable line for just that purpose but I guess they don't carry it.

I suppose low test tippet is really only necessary when the fish are real discerning, when presentation and sighting the line matter (e.g. trout)?

Don't mistake me for an expert either, but if you are popping flies off of the end of your line it is more than likely because you are not letting your back cast roll all the way out. If do not let your back cast lay out all the way the line will have to pass its self. As it does the short portion of line that is overlapped goes slack. Then when it catches tension *POP*. This description isn't the best but you get the idea I am sure.

[Arofishing]

Don't mistake me for an expert either, but if you are popping flies off of the end of your line it is more than likely because you are not letting your back cast roll all the way out. If do not let your back cast lay out all the way the line will have to pass its self. As it does the short portion of line that is overlapped goes slack. Then when it catches tension *POP*. This description isn't the best but you get the idea I am sure.

Thanks, any and all advice is appreciated. At times, especially with the Dogwood Canyon setup that I just took out for the first time yesterday, it seems like I have too much velocity on the line and not enough finesse. And just as you are describing, when the line is behind me it seems like I am really "snapping" or "whipping" it back in front of me - which I know is not good, and certainly contributing to my losing flies.

I'll give my cast some more attention while its behind me, hopefully that will help.

However, I've still read/heard in a number of places over the last week I've been reading up on this stuff that you have to frequently check your knot. Isn't that right? I don't want to be obsessive about it, but about how often do you check your knots?

[Trout Commander]

I don't want to be obsessive about it, but about how often do you check your knots?

When my line breaks I check to see if it was my knot that let go.

I usually give it a look when I have moss or vegetation from the river or leaves from a tree on my hook that I have to remove anyway. I also check it after I land a sizable fish, when I remember.

As far as too much velocity and not enough finesse goes, you are probably right. I still catch myself forcing it too much. One thing that really helped me was to challenge myself and see how slow I could go and still throw a good loop. It really opened my eyes to how little effort it actually takes if you do things right.

[Arofishing]

When my line breaks I check to see if it was my knot that let go.

I usually give it a look when I have moss or vegetation from the river or leaves from a tree on my hook that I have to remove anyway. I also check it after I land a sizable fish, when I remember.

As far as too much velocity and not enough finesse goes, you are probably right. I still catch myself forcing it too much. One thing that really helped me was to challenge myself and see how slow I could go and still throw a good loop. It really opened my eyes to how little effort it actually takes if you do things right.

I do the same thing re: seeing how slow I can go. It does help a lot. Unfortunately it's just so natural in the heat of the moment, and the eagerness to get that fly where you think the fish are, to start flailing the line about to get it there as soon as possible.